UNM holding rally at Justice Ministry in Tbilisi
The United National Movement opposition party says that rallies will be held regularly in Tbilisi and regions until the government fulfills its three demands. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party is holding a rally in front of the building of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia in Tbilisi, following yesterday's transfer of former president Mikheil Saakashvili to Gldani prison hospital ‘against his will.’
The party is demanding the transportation of Saakashvili to a civil clinic, his release from prison and the annulment of recent municipal election results.
UNM head Nika Melia says that rallies will be held ‘regularly’ in Tbilisi and regions, ‘in accordance with the law and without breaking into state buildings,’ until all the goals are reached.
The Georgian Justice Ministry stated yesterday that Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike for 39 days, was transferred to Gldani Prison No.18 hospital from Rustavi Prison No.12 ‘to prevent a deterioration in his health due to increased risks.’
The ministry said that Saakashvili attacked Gldani prison personnel and damaged medical equipment while in the prison hospital. The ministry further also released a video to dismiss allegations that Saakashvili was transferred to the prison hospital against his will.
After Mikheil Saakashvili entered the №18 facility, he physically and verbally abused the staff of the penitentiary and damaged expensive medical equipment.
— Justice Ministry GEO (@Justice_geo) November 8, 2021
The Ministry of Justice has already followed the relevant legal response.
More information: https://t.co/19c9c2lcJ1 pic.twitter.com/18SRDwHAyc
Saakashvili, however, said that he was told he would be transferred to a civil clinic and not to the prison hospital, adding that the prison staff attacked him.
I really bumped the analyzer because they started injecting something into me without my permission. My reaction was caused by the stress after all this violence and abuse,” Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page.
Saakashvili, who is a citizen of Ukraine and is chairing the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to ‘remove the Georgian Dream government from power.’
He was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, a day before Georgian municipal elections, and has been on hunger strike since then.
However, the government officials claim that Saakashvili is ‘eating certain food while on hunger strike and is staging a show.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that Saakashvili and his United National Movement party have plans to cause unrest if the former president is brought to a civil clinic.
Saakashvili was convicted in Georgia in absentia back in 2018 for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili who was transferred to Gldani prison hospital today, has released the letter from the facility stating that the purpose of the recent activities is his physical destruction under Russian president Vladimir Putin’s order.
The situation in front of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, where the opposition is holding a rally, has tensed after the United National Movement (UNM) member Levan Khabeishvili attempted to spray the message ‘free Misha’ in solidarity of the former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili on the square in front of the administration building. The confrontation took place between the protesters and the police as the law enforcement officials prevented Khabeishvili from making the inscription.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has stated that the Gldani No.18 prison hospital, where ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili was transferred earlier today, is not provided with two medical devices - MRT and catheterisation equipment - that were recommended by the medical council.
Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who reportedly has been on hunger strike for 39 days, has been transferred to Gldani No.18 prison hospital ‘to prevent deterioration in his health due to increased risks,' the Georgian Special Penitentiary Service reports.
The opposition United National Movement (UNM) members and supporters have gathered in front of the parliament building this evening in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi, demanding former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s release from prison. The UNM chairman Nika Melia announced that rallies will be held in several locations of Tbilisi from tomorrow.
Several opposition activists were detained by police at the rallies of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party earlier today, at the buildings of the Ministry of Health of Georgia and the State Security Service.
Two citizens have been injured by stones thrown during a United National Movement (UNM) rally held in front of the State Security Service (SSS) building. The stones, supposedly thrown from the roof of the residential building near the SSS, have been handed to the police for investigation.
The opposition Girchi - More Freedom party members on Friday blocked entrances of the State Security Service offices in six cities in Georgia, with police later removing the vehicles of the party leaders cars.